With 12 of the 15 Warriors with standard contracts inactive for Wednesday's game against the Trail Blazers, it wasn't surprising that the Dubs lost 123-118.
But the result of the game was much less important than how the players fighting for roles and roster spots looked.
Here are three takeaways from Wednesday's loss.
The Warriors have three two-way roster spots to use, and they are currently filled by LJ Cryer, Graham Ike and Malevy Leons.
Cryer is safe due to his NBA-level three-point shooting. He made 39.4 percent of his threes with Golden State last year.
Ike seems safe because the Warriors need center depth with Kristaps Porzingis out indefinitely and Al Horford missing 37 games last year. He also had a solid game Wednesday with 10 points (2-of-3 from three), and six rebounds.
Leons' spot shouldn't be safe.
Perhaps it is nonetheless. I've seen no reporting that the Warriors would cut Leons.
But it's hard to understand why a 27-year-old with mediocre offensive skills for an NBA forward has one of the spots.
Leons went 2-of-11 with five points in 33 minutes on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Miles Kelly, who is two-way-eligible, had 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting.
Leons' strength is his defensive versatility. At 6'9", he can guard multiple positions.
But the Warriors should at least explore if they can find a player with more offensive potential-whether it's Kelly or a player on a different roster not protected with a two-way contract
Brandon Williams was always expected to make the Warriors roster, but any time a player signs a non-guaranteed contract, it leaves the door slightly open that he'll get cut before the money becomes guaranteed.
Well, we can put that thought to rest.
Williams was the Warriors' best player Wednesday, scoring 17 points in 18 minutes while adding four assists and three rebounds.
At the least, Williams should be playing every minute Stephen Curry is off the court. We'll see if he proves so dynamic that he plays with Curry at times as well.
$1.4 million of Williams' contract becomes guaranteed if he's on the roster on opening night.
Dalen Terry, who is not two-way-eligible, had a great game with 23 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and four steals in 43 minutes. This was basically an audition to the entire league for a standard contract, which he deserves.
But the Warriors have already filled their standard contract spots, so he won't be with Golden State this season. His only realistic chance at a roster spot would have resulted from Williams getting cut, and that's not happening.
For those wondering, the Warriors are so close to the second apron that they can't cut anyone with guaranteed money and sign Terry immediately ( as I explained here ). It's unfortunate considering he could help them with their wing depth issue.
Chances are he'll play with Santa Cruz for at least the start of the year (if not the whole year), but here's hoping he eventually lands a standard contract this season.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/warriors/onsi as Takeaways from Warriors' Loss to Blazers: Dubs Have Roster Decision to Make on Forward .
